Rajasthan Congress leader files nomination in bypolls as Independent, suspended

Congress leader Naresh Meena was suspended by the party after he filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency, which will go into bypolls on November 13.

In Short

• Naresh Meena was denied ticket by Congres in assembly polls
• Meena secures support by Rashtriya Loktantrik Party
• Seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan to go into bypolls on November 13

Congress's Rajasthan unit has suspended party leader Naresh Meena after he filed his nomination as an independent candidate from the Deoli-Uniara assembly constituency, which will go into bypolls on November 13.

Naresh Meena filed his nomination after being denied a ticket by Congress, which chose KC Meena as its candidate in the by-polls.

A total of seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan are going to polls, which include Jhunjhunu, Dausa, Deoli-Uniara, Khinvsar, Chorasi, Salumber and Ramgarh.

Sixty-nine candidates, including 10 female nominees, will test their electoral luck in the November 13 bypolls to seven Assembly constituencies in Rajasthan. The results will be declared in November 23.

Of these, four were held by Congress while BJP, Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) and Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) hold one each.

According to poll observers, Naresh Meena could wean sizeable support away from the Congress, hampering the party's chances of winning from the seat.

Rashtriya Loktantrik Party has also promised its support Naresh Meena in the bypolls.

After the Lok Sabha polls, the bypolls on seven Assembly seats in Rajasthan will be the first political test for both the ruling BJP and the Congress.

Currently, the BJP has 114 members in the 200-seat assembly, Congress 65, Bharat Adivasi Party three, Bahujan Samaj Party two and Rashtriya Lok Dal one. There are eight Independent members.